Why be predictable?
Sure, and there’s a ton of good burgers out there made from beef or turkey or chicken – this one in particular comes to mind – but don’t ignore sea food.
True, these may be more shrimp cakes than burgers, but they are still pretty darned tasty slathered with a bit of red sammich sauce and placed on a lightly toasted bun with a bit of lettuce, tomato, and mebbe a slice or three of onion and pickle.
INGREDIENTS
•1 cup bread crumbs
•1 lb peeled, deveined large shrimp
•2 tbsp mayonnaise
•1 tsp dried chive
•1 tsp dried parsley
•1/4 tsp black pepper
•1/8 tsp celery salt
•1/8 tsp Cayenne
•1/8 tsp Aleppo pepper
•Olive oil
Place the bread crumbs in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until very finely ground, mebbe ten times or so. Transfer to a shallow bowl and set aside.
Add about a third of the shrimp, the mayonnaise, and the seasonings to the food processor and pulse about a dozen times, until the shrimp is finely chopped and nicely blended with the mayo and the seasonings.
Add the remaining shrimp and pulse another five or six times, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl, until the shrimp is coarsely chopped.
Using a quarter cup measure, divide the shrimp mixture into four equal portions and shape into patties – I used a hamburger patty mold lined with waxed paper.
Dip each patty into the bread crumbs, pressing lightly to get the crumbs to stick, then set aside on a plate.
Heat three tablespoons or so of olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold all four patties over medium heat.
Add the shrimp burgers and cook for five minutes or so, until the bottom is nicely golden brown.
Carefully flip the burgers and cook for another five minutes or so, until the other side is browned and the shrimp totally cooked – an instant ready thermometer should register between 140º and 145º when placed in the center of a burger.
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then serve as you like.
We thoroughly enjoyed ours on those lightly toasted buns with the red sammich sauce, but next time, I believe I will shred the lettuce, and for the pickles, I think zippy ginger refrigerator would be perfection.